Cooling tower



Dec. 1, 1959 J. JACIR 2,915,302

COOLING TOWER Filed Oct. 30, 1956 V 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. JACIR COOLING TOWER Dec. 1, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 30, 1956 Fly-' a United States Patent 2,915,302 COOLING rowan Joseph Jacir, Neuilly-Plaisance, France Application October 30, 1956, Serial No. 619,242

Claims priority, application France December 17, 1955 i 4 Claims. (Cl. 261-30) Many kinds of apparatus are known wherein a liquid fluid dropping by gravity has to be placed in internal contact with a rising gaseous fluid, for example for heat exchange or to remove dust from one of the fluids or for any other chemical or physical reason. I

The known apparatus have a number of disadvantages, for example they take up too much space, or there are difficulties connected with the power required to set one of the fluids in motion, or the cost is' too high.

It is an object of the invention to overcome these disadvantages by providing apparatus which is compact and, therefore, takes up little space, is inexpensive andprovides as wide a contact surface as possible havingregard to its dimensions and which, more particularly, reduces very considerably the load lossesof. the flow liquids while preventing the liquid being carried away by the gaseous fluid.

According to the invention, there is provided apparatus wherein liquid reaching the top of a tower is channelled into troughs where it overflows on to a plurality of distributing units formed from strips which are in spaced relationship and which have inclined guide surfaces which deflect the falling liquid between two distribution strips towards one such strip, whereafter the liquid divided into drops or jets over the whole width of the apparatus, passes through dispersion stages each formed by inclined parallel strips, the strips of two consecutive stages extending in directions at right angles to one another. 7

According to a feature of the invention, there is provided apparatus wherein the liquid is collected at the bottom of the tower by curved blades having one substantially vertical wall and one substantially horizontal wall which is directed towards the supply of the gaseous fluid flowing in counter-current, said blades also serving as guide blading for the gaseous fluid.

The dispersion stages are formed by rows ofv parallel elongated sheet metal members which are generally inclined to the vertical, two successive horizontal rows being differently orientated in the horizontal plane and preferably being perpendicular to one another so that water issuing from one stage are received by the sheet metal members of the lower stage through the inclination of the said sheet metal members, flow passages for air or any other gaseous fluid being arranged between the sheet metal members. The gaseous fluid is thus constrained to follow a zig-zag path, enclosed by a plurality of chimneys formed between the water jets, which are crossed from stage to stage, but does not pass through a sheet or plane of water jets, so that load losses are substantially obviated.

In a preferred embodiment, each distributing stage is comprised by strips so shaped as to form steps of which the final plane terminates in a vertical sawtooth edge. These strips are disposed parallel to each other and together form a horizontal stage below the channels from which the water issues by overflowing, and disposed between the strips are inclined guide members which are in line with the overflow planes in such a manner as to permit the distributing members to be suitably spaced from the passage of the air and to collect all the water originating from the channels. v

The distribution and dispersion stages form assemblies slidingly introduced on horizontal supports.

A specific embodiment of the inventionwill now be described by way of example with reference to the accom panying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional end elevation of the apparatus according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a side view in section;

Figures 3 and 4 are details of the end and profile of the distributors;

Figure 5 is an isometric view of two adjacent dispersion stages;

Figure 6 is an isometric view of a receiving blade;

Figure 7 shows how the distributors and dispersers are fitted, whilst Figures 8a and 8b illustrate in detail the assembly of the distributing and dispersing stages.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that. the cooler is formed by a sheet metal orconcrete tower 10 having at the top a tray 11 in which the liquid to. be distributed is received. Horizontal tubes 12 extend from the tray and distribute the liquid into troughs 13, from where it overflows or falls by any other means on to a spaced distributor unit 14 comprising bent members. Each distributor is made of sheet metal or other rigid or plastic material and is formed as to comprise a step having on one longitudinal edge anup'wardly extending vertical part and on the other longitudinal edge a downwardly extending vertical part, the latter terminating in downwardly directedteeth. Beneath the water issuing from the troughs 13, the distributors have guide members 15 formed by inclined strips for conveying the liquid to the step of'the distributor.

t The water then drops on to the dispersion stages which are formed by members 16 having an inclined part 17 and a step (Figure 5) which also terminates in downwardly projecting teeth.

, The inclined part 17 serves to fill the space between two consecutive members so that all the water is collected and its fall broken. The inclination of the part 17 is such that the vortices in the rising gaseous fluid are avoided and load loss will therefore be very low as it flows through the dispersion stage.

The consecutive dispersion stages are crossed, the lower stage having its components at right angles to those of the stage immediately above. Thus, rising gaseous fluid which has passed through a dispersion stage flows between the planes formed by the drops or jets of liquid falling from the stage above.

After passing through the dispersion stages, the water reaches the gaseous fluid deflecting blades 18 comprising an arcuate surface with a horizontal axis, the said arcuate surface being terminated at one longitudinal side by a vertical plane part 19 and at the other longitudinal side end by a horizontal part 20 with a folded edge 21 forming a collecting channel and having spaced apertures for draining (Figure 6). Fluid falling on the blading is received into these channels and drains through the apertures. The folded edge of the blade also acts as a leading edge against the current of air from a fan 23.

The tower has horizontal supports 25 (Figure 7) on the walls for positioning the distributing or dispersion assemblies. Each distribution or dispersion stage is first assembled on a frame which is slid on to the support 25.

The frame is assembled as follows: Each distributor or disperser strip has a U-shaped aperture 26 (Figure 8a) at 3. that a suitable hardenable substance such as, for example, cement, mastic or a plastic substance can be poured into the channel 28 formed by the channel-iron (Figures 8a and 812). After setting, the substance maintains the elements securely in position-on the irons, the ends of which receive cross-pieces 29 (Figure 7).

During fitting the supports 27 are placed on the crosspieces 29 when, the frames are introduced through the entry' apertures.

This method of assembly reduces air flow resistance very considerably, for no component projecting beyond the irons 27 is necessary, while the filling of the same also helps air flow.

i In operation, the gaseous fiuid is circulated by a motordriven fan 23 (Figure 2) and passes horizontally into a tube'24, being deflected by the blades 18, and flows in countercurrent to the liquid through the dispersers and distributor and issues from the top of the apparatus.

' I claim:

1.- In a liquid cooling apparatus, in combination, a vertical housing having an open upper end and having a lateral opening adjacent its lower end, means supplying air to the'housing through the opening with the air passing upwardly in the housing, means at the open upper end for supplying water into the housing through the upper end, a water distribution means arranged transversely in the housing below the upper end, said water distribution means including a plurality of vertically disposed, horizontally spaced apart, parallel blades, guide blades carried by the upper ends of the blades and each guide blade extending downwardly from one blade toward the adjoining side surface of an adjacent blade to bridge the space between the blades and direct the water onto said side surface of each blade, a plurality of vertically spaced sets of water dispersion blade members arranged transversely of the housing below the, water distribution means, the blade members of each set having parallel diagonal center sections provided at their upper ends with upper parallel vertical sections and at their lower ends with lower parallel vertical sections, the upper and lower vertical sections being spaced out of vertical alignment by the center sections, said lower vertical sections having horizontal, commonly facing shoulders, toothed flanges depending from the shoulders, the blades of adjoining sets of water dispersion blades being disposed at right angles to each other, and water collector blade elements disposed transversely in the housing below the lowermost set of water dispersion blade members and being arranged in vertically spaced relation in the housing at the lateral opening so as to confrontthe opening in downwardly and rearwardly extending, vertically staggered relation, said water collector blade elements being curved and having substantially concave sides facing the opening and the blades having a leading edge facing the air as it enters the housing.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said water collector blade elements have substantially vertical upper edge portions and substantially horizontal lower edge portions which terminate in the leading edge, said leading edges being upwardly and rearwardly. curved to form troughs.

3. The combination of claim 1, wherein said blades of the water distribution means have lower edges terminating in horizontal shoulders which underlie the lower edges of the guide blades and which terminate in depending toothed flanges.

4. The combination of claim 1, wherein said housing has lateral openings for the passage therethrough of the water distribution means and of the sets of water dispersion blade members and said housing has supports formed on its sides to receive and support the slidably moved distribution means and the sets of water dispersion blade members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,647,281 Doyle Nov. 1, 1927 2,198,305 Crawford Apr. 23, 1940 2,606,750 Jacir Aug. 12, 1952 2,627,396 Simons Feb. 3, 1953 2,661,197 Norman Dec. 1, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 308,290 Germany Oct. 7, 1918 571,510 Great Britain Aug. 29, 1945 

